"Memories and mistakes included." Loxley gave a small smile. "It's a lovely sentiment. I'll have to remember that one. Hmm?" Something flashed lightly and caught her attention by her backpack. Turning, Loxley put her hands on her hips and tried to give the inquisitive little furball a stern look.
Any attempt at being angry with the furry little thief is hard pressed to linger and Loxley's stern look turns into a grin. "I think someone is ready for breakfast." Crouching down she offers Bandit chin scritches in exchange for her mirror.
"What's wrong buddy?" Tamm asks the raccoon.
"Come here and I'll give you some jerky."
Bandit mewls low moans at Loxleys ministrations upon his chin, his head lifting high as her nails dig under the thick fur under the mouth. He twists and tilts his head, ensuring that the scritches hit all the spots that demand attention. THe mirror held in his hands rotates once more, it's shiny surface catching the light.
Bandit releases the mirror to loxley and then goes onto his four paws, and waddles up to sazzat, and begins chittering and growling as he rears up on his hind feet. His forward paws reach out and begin to grasp eagerly at Sazzats at his mention of food.
Panic set itself in the young elfs mind. There was...in fact... nothing he would enjoy more than that, but there was just so much of import going on. His exploration age had been cut short by the disapearance of his tribe.He bit his lip in thought.
"I will let the others know that you are showing me the quickest route to Thistletop while they breakfast."
He blushed a bit more, hoping he didnt sound like too eager an idiot.
He hurried back to the makeshift camp to inform the others that he would be gone for a bit with Shalelu.
"Hey uh ... folk. Scouting ahead with Shalelu, Be back in a bit."
He said pulling out a breakfast berry to munch on.
"Stay with them Dewdrop, protect them if goblins show up okay?"
He said to stalwart companion before heading off with the ranger.
Yeda cocks her head and looks confused for a moment? Without your strongest sword? She holds up her greatsword for emphasis. Am I that loud?
"I know I am and I shoot fire from my fingertips." Zeldana said with a small chuckle as she smiled at Yeda. "Well, among other things..."
"I know I am and I shoot fire from my fingertips." Zeldana said with a small chuckle as she smiled at Yeda. "Well, among other things..."
Bandit says suddenly yeah, i can smell
Corrin walks off with Shalelu, scouting down the path into the woods beyond, out of sight.
An hour passes, bandit entertaining everyone by climbing upon the elks antlers and grooming the large animals head and shoulders. COrrin and Shalelu stride back into the camp. And corrin has a very large smirk upon his face.
Remember, just follow the trail to the heavy bushes. beyond them is Thistletop. Corrin, you moved well in the bush, and your woodsmanship is excellent. Be sure to lead the group well and you will come out on top. I hope that we can meet up again in Sandpoint soon. Shalelu reaches out and claps corrin on the shoulder, her hand lingering a long moment before she let's it fall. With a final nod to everyone, she turns and jogs down the trail heading south. A moment later, the final leaf disturbed by her passing stills, evidence of her vanishing.
Didn't you just use up his woodsmanship? Every goblin for miles probably heard that, though hopefully it gave them ideas and they'll be busy for a while.
Yeda remarks with withering sarcasm.
He opened his mouth to defend their actions . . . not that there was a lot to defend but to explain to the others the long time loneliness he had felt from the loss of his family and the missing lessons most elves learned in their youth... well It would hard to explain much less understand. They were only humans after all. It was a tiny amount embaressing that they heard. He had thought they had moved far enough away.
"Of course Shalelu, I will guide them to Thistletop and we will put an end to the goblin menace.. and to this Tsuto. I very much would like to see you in Sandpoint once this is over."
He managed to speak out watching the ranger disapear into the woodline. Just a small lingering of thoughts on his morning remained before the other took over. She really was a gorgeous elf the right amount of wild and civilized. He slid the leather face mask over his features and slid a spear out from over his shoulder. It was time for death, time to put aside the nice version of himself.
"There is a difference between heard and understood." Zeldana told Yeda before giving a small laugh at her own joke.
When Corrin went into the woodline first, Zeldana looked at the rest. "Shall we follow closely?" She asked.
Didn't you just use up his woodsmanship? Every goblin for miles probably heard that, though hopefully it gave them ideas and they'll be busy for a while.
Yeda remarks with withering sarcasm.
Tamm memorizes his spells during the period of the interlude.
Loxley politely went about finishing her preparations to break camp as Corrin and Shalelu moved off to have a 'private conversation'. She did her best to give them their privacy. Repacking her mirror, she tested her pack's straps before shouldering it. She joined the others around the embers of the campfire and took the time to go over her spellbook as she ate warmed rations. Loxley had decided a change in her spell choices may prove helpful.
When Corrin finally rejoined the group Loxley did her best not to chuckle at the look on his face and simply puts her book away and picks up her bow. She finds herself actually having to bite back a giggle at Yeda's remarks and looks over at Zeldana.
"Shall we follow closely?" She asked.
"Well, it wouldn't do to lose track of him before we even get to Thistletop." She says as she starts after the druid.
Breaking camp, the group shoulders their packs and begins the short trek towards their destination.
Corrin leads the group through the narrow twisting path covered in vines and brambls, thorns catching at clothing and bags, tugging, cutting lightly across the body. Annoyance rises through the group as the harsh caress of the forest makes the skin itch and irritated. Areas on the body where you dont think that the vines should be able to reach, middle of the back, behind the knees, bottom of the foot, just start to itch.
Every so often, someone stops and has to scratch.
Yet corrin stands still in the trail, not moving an inch, not sufferring the effects of these pesky vines.
As you continue to the north, the sound of the ocean, waves crashing upon each other grows in noise, a constant, continuous roar as water splashes against the hard surface of rock and stone.
Finally, corrin pushes through one last bush that is thick with catching, clinging, intching vines and thorns and steps into a small opening, clear of vines, bushes, itchy things.
The open area is covered in hard packed dirt and sand, tracks crisscrossing the entire area, overlapping, destroying any sense of consistency towards a clear trail.
Opposite you, the bushes stand tall, but the vines hang thick, the thorns extra long and interwoven, a natural barrier towards forward movement.
[ooc]everyone can make a perception check, dc 12[/dice]
He was scowling as he made his way into the open area. He had done his best to move through the overgrowth where it wouldn't affect his friends as much, but it was impossible for them to avoid it entirely. He knew they didn't have the same connection to the natural world that he did. Keeping his eyes alert even as he used his spear and arm to help pull some of the bush and briar's back to make it easier for everyone to get through.
Yeda swats away at various vines, not hiding her annoyance.
Do you want my blade up there Corrin? This is no proper trail, but we could make it one...
In little time they make it to a clearing anyway, and Yeda is able to forget about the annoyances for the time being.
Zeldana followed along, smiling as her jewelry jingled as she walked. When they came to the thrones she looked to the others. "We do have a way to remove those without my magic yes? Because I don't think I have magic for that..."
Loxley did her best to keep from snagging on the greenery, but thorns and such caught on he clothes and back. She enjoyed nature to a point and would have been happy to let Yeda clear the way, but she didn’t think Corrin would appreciate it. She toughed it out as they followed the Druid until they arrived at the clearing.
”Nor I.” Loxley echoed Zeldana as she eyeballed the wall of thorns cautiously.
Unfortunately, she found herself distracted by a thorn caught in hard to reach spot that was still poking her.
Everyone shakes their clothing, allowing the thorns and clinging hairs of the vines to (mostly) shake free, providing a reprieve from the annoying nettles, which, as one thinks about it, provides the name of this wood, Nettlewood. One shudders to think what thistletop will bring to the clothing, and exposed skin.
Corrin, unaffected by the itchiness that nature can provide, casts his gaze around the narrow opening in the woods. His eye looks at the tall tangle of brambles, branches, and vines, taking in the nature of their growth, how they reach high to the sky, while snaking here and there, a complex weave to their pattern of seeking that brighter patch of sunlight.
And yet, he notices something odd about their growth pattern just on the opposite side of the glade.
There. the vines, the thorny branches...they look discolored Yeda says, shaking free a final nettle that scratches at the back of the neck.
Corrin nods his head and steps across the glade, and kneels down to examine the strange growth.
He looks around at it, peering, noticing that a small section, about 4 feet tall and 4 feet wide, appears to be woven thick and heavy around a narrow wooden lattice.
Yeda glides across the glade and crouches next to him, a look of questioning upon her face. Corrin, silent, looks at her and shakes his head, indicating that this isnt a normal growth. Yeda, easily understanding the head shake, shifts Mar'du in her hand, its large surface catching the sunlight, casting a sharp light upon her face, casting a slight shadow upon one eye from her narrow nose. Her lips compress together as her eyes squint. She looks at Corrin, and then the door, and nods.
Both stand still for a moment, listening beyond, their ears stretching to hear beyond the woven barrier and filter out unique noises beyond the crashing the waves.
Hearing nothing, Corrin reaches a hand out and grasps the wood frame while yeda shifts slightly, her posture crouched low, mar'du held a her side, ready to swipe out at anything that stands on the other side.
Corrin lifts the lattice and it comes free with ease....
A four foot high tunnel winds through the dense briars and nettles. the floor is hard-packed earth, with patches of wiry plants growing stubbornly here and there.
Yeda pleads with Corrin. Can we please do something about the brambles in this passage, if we are to traverse it? I respect the spirit of the Earth, but this was made by humanoids with cruel intent.
He blinked at them for a moment through the mask and it was apparent for a moment he didnt seem to understand what they were asking him about. He lifted up the leather mask and studied the passage for a moment.
"OH... you mean the brambles and the like? By all means cut them down, this place needs purged and cleansed if we had brought oil i would suggest burning it to the ground and letting nature reseed it."
He said simply once more frowning at the passageway.
"They might notice the comotion though if we go for widespread destruction, keep your eyes open."
He added sliding the mask back over his face and resettling the spear into his shoulder sling for them. He drew out his sickle and started to work on widening the passageway. Aware he would be safe for the most part from the thorns.
Yes, burning seems extreme for the moment. I'll settle for cutting the annoyances out of our way as we go along.
"Maybe we should just proceed swiftly through the passage. It looks like clearing a wider tunnel is a big project and will likely attract attention and warn the goblins we are here." Tamm suggests.
"Did someone say burning?" Zeldana asked. "We could start a fire... though I am not sure if I myself could control it. That, would be up to Corrin, as nature is more his thing."
"Fire would take too long, the smoke would certainly give our position away, Keep an eye out, I'll try and open the way as best I can."
He said lowly tilting his head and studying the overgrown undergrowth with a scowl. He was starting to see why everyone absolutely abhored the little green monsters.
Loxley finally finished de-thorning herself and turned to see the others debating a small opening she hadn’t noticed at first. She moved to stand by them, nodding as she regarded the opening. ”I have to agree, fire wouldn’t work as well as you would think if these aren’t very dry, Too dry and the fire could get out of hand quickly.”
She thought for a moment. ”What about something more acidic?” A small yellow-green ball formed in her hand as she eyed the thorny growth. Picking a spot away from anyone she tossed the acrid smelling sphere lightly. It hissed slightly as it lobbed through the air.
"Why don't we just try to be quiet and get through these brambles as quick as we can?"
Yeda nods and follows Corrin and Tamm.
The rigidity of her armor makes the squat movement particularly uncomfortable.
"right then, silent as a goblins grave."
He said keeping the sickle in hand. He some snick snick noises with his mouth motioning for Dewdrop to follow them in the really tight tunnels.
"Can anything a goblin has or does be silent?" Zeldana wondered as she tried to slip through the problem plants like her friends.
Yeda finds it impossible to move comfortably, squatting down in the tunnel and with the rigidity of her armor.
I really need to look into mithral chain for situations like this...
”You maybe on to something there.” Loxley chuckled at Zeldana’s comment.
But, Sazzat was probably right, they should just bite the stick and try to slip through the brambles as quickly as they could. There was no way to be sure it would open up enough for them further in until attempted to enter. She tried to stay focused on the task at hand as she followed Yeda into the passage. She didn’t want to think about getting caught by goblins in such a unfavorable position.
"If we run into trouble, stick them with the sharp end." Tamm says.
Bandit nods sagely.
Lowering themselves down to hands and knees, or crouching low, the group pushes through the small, narrow tunnel, attempting (with varied success) to avoid sliding up against the thorns and brambles.
Corrin leads the group down the first narrow tunnel, and comes to a short junction. To the left, it goes down for another 20 feet and then turns again to the right.
To corrins right, the tunnel branches off into two forks onto itself. One pretty much takes is slight dogleg left, and the other slants off to the right before turning to the left.
"What's that odd pattern on the ground?"
"Hmmmm, some how it looks familiar." Zeldana muttered as she moved closer to get a better look at it.
He paused tilting his head as he studied the odd pattern on the ground. He almost didnt notice when the others mentioned they had noticed it too, so enrapt in it he was. Slowly he pulled out his waterskin and poured a little in the channel, watching to see if the water flowed about the channel. His hunch was that perhaps it had been a purposeful planting of these annoying hedges to channel non goblins in to ways they wanted them to head. Almost like a gardened maze he had heard about. Its how his people would have done it.
"I'll be back in just one moment. Keep them safe Yeda, Dewdrop."
He gave Yeda a nod and then just stepped right through the thicket. He wanted to see if there was the channeled effect along the ground on the other side.
Yeda nods back at Corrin and solidifies her squat stance, seeing as she be in one place for at least several moments. She fidgets, tapping the tip of her blade into the dirt.
You move through the thick brambles without a hint of tugging or pain as the branches, thorns, and vines all seem to flow around you without touching you. You step through a heavy thickened area of brush and out into a narrow clearing. The bushes grow high, but thin out at the top, making a natural canopy. In the middle of the natural opening, you see a large hole, about 10 feet across. It drops away into nothingness, but you hear a faint crash and splash emit from the hole. Given your proximity to the shoreline, you can easly assume that the hole is somehow connected to the water of the sea.
Glancing around at the base of the brambles and stunted trees, you determine that the growth here is natural, not goblin made.